Community
21 September, 2026
Local representatives to give evidence at AI and data inquiry
Representatives of Stop the Gas Plant – Southern Highlands, Win Zero and Wingecarribee Shire Council will all address the Federal Inquiry into AI and data centres in Sydney on Tuesday (September 29).
Representatives of Stop the Gas Plant – Southern Highlands, Win Zero and Wingecarribee Shire Council will all address the Federal Inquiry into AI and data centres in Sydney on Tuesday (September 29).
The Australian Senate Inquiry into Artificial Intelligence and Data Centres – chaired by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young – is currently examining the rapid growth, resource demands and regulatory oversight of data centres across the country.
The committee is holding ongoing hearings as part of the inquiry – including one tomorrow in Lane Cove.
Stop the Gas Plant committee members Dr Jacqueline Duc, Jessic Ryall and Natalie Swainston (by video conference), Wiz Zero deputy chair Gaye White and committee member Kirstine McKay (by video conference) have all been asked to give evidence to the inquiry between 11am and 11.45am.
A number of local government representatives from Sydney and the Southern Highlands will give evidence to the inquiry between 1.30pm and 2.15pm including Wingecarribee Shire councillor Heather Champion and council’s Director Communities and Place, Michael McCabe.
Local residents are being encouraged to help fill the room at the Waterview Community Centre in Waterview Drive, Lane Cove to help send a strong message to the Federal Government that a proposed gas fired power plant in Moss Vale is not wanted.
As reported by The Southern Wire, Wingecarribee Shire Council has already approved a small 14MW gas plant to power the data centre in Douglas Road but an application for a second 16MW plant and batter energy storage system is currently before the Land and Environment Court
The State Government is also assessing a State Significant Development (SSD) application for a much larger 673.2MW gas plant on the same site.
Combined, the three plants at 703MW would become one of the largest in the country.
Stop the Gas Plant – Southern Highlands has raised serious concerns about the impact of the proposed development on community health, the environment, amenity and climate change and have called on the Federal Government to introduce a moratorium on data centre.
At its August meeting Wingecarribee Shire Council also resolved unanimously to support calls for a moratorium.
It also called for a public benefits test for all data centres and for data centres to be prohibited from enabling new or expanded fossil fuel generation.
It comes as communities across the country – and across the world – start to fight back against the rapid growth of data centres and the associated infrastructure.
Both Yass Valley Council and Upper Lachlan Council fear an increase in data centres will fuel the demand for more renewable energy projects like wind farms, which will continue to impact on the residents of both local government areas. For those people who can’t make it tomorrow in person, the hearing will also be livestreamed via the Australian Parliament House Streaming Portal on Youtube.
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